What Staring at a Screen All Day REALLY Does To Your Eyes.

What Staring at a Screen All Day REALLY Does To Your Eyes.

You might want to take a few blink breaks while reading this

Published: June 19, 2014  |  By Sandy Rose

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You're probably aware that spending hours only inches from a computer screen puts serious strain on your eyes. Turns out, that's not the only reason your laptop is an ocular enemy: Spending more than seven hours a day in front of a computer can cause symptoms similar to dry eye syndrome, according to a new study in JAMA Ophthalmology.
When the scientists analyzed the concentration of MUC5AC—a protein found in your eyes' mucus layer that maintains the moisture—they found that levels were lowest in office workers who stared at a screen more than seven hours a day. Levels of the protein also took a dive in people who reported eyestrain or dryness.
Why the sore eyes? When people gaze into the glow, they tend to blink less than normal, and the tears on the surface of their eyes begin to evaporate, without being replaced by new ones, say the scientists. "Studies have shown that when we stare at a computer screen for long periods of time, our blink rate goes down 10-fold," says Lisa Park, M.D., clinical associate professor of ophthalmology at New York University.
Although discomfort is the primary downside, desert-dry eyes can sometimes lead to a disruption in vision. Park compares it to looking at the sky through a crystal clear lake with a smooth, glassy surface—or one that has random patches of dry land poking through. The worst-case scenario: "When eyes get really dry, you can actually experience a breakdown in the tissues on the front surface of the eye, which can be a source of infections," she says. However, this is not likely to occur in run-of-the-mill cases of work-related dry eyes.
If you wear contact lenses, you run the risk of scratching the surface of your eyes if you take them out when your peepers are too dry. "You've worn them for 10 hours, they dry out, and then you go to take them out and scrape them across the surface of your eyes," says Park. "That can cause small abrasions, and those can put you at risk for infection."
Luckily, there are several ways to avoid dry eyes at work—without quitting your job. Step one: Every 15 minutes or so, shift your gaze from the screen to your window, or look at the clock, or just focus on something in the distance. "This reminds you to blink a little bit," says Park.
And when your eyes start feeling dry—especially if you often experience severe discomfort—replenish their moisture with over-the-counter artificial tears up to four times a day, says Park. Tempted to moisturize more often? Make sure you're using a preservative-free version of the lubricating drops.
To avoid trails of mascara streaming down your face, "squeeze [gently] so just one drop, versus two or three, comes out," says Park, "and really lean your head all the way back—don't just look up to put them in. Try to drop it over the eyeball to minimize it coming out onto the eyelids and smudging cosmetics."
Finally, if you wear contacts, make sure to lubricate your eyes with artificial tears right before removing them at night. "Let the contact lens float on the surface of the eye, and then take it out," says Park.